To say that all has not exactly been smooth sailing for Tokyo Blade would be a gross understatement, to say the least. After releasing two brilliant albums [the self titled debut A.K.A."Midnight Rendezvous" and "Night Of The Blade"], things went pear-shaped for the UK 5-piece. If anyone ever writes a book on how NOT to do things for aspiring bands, Tokyo Blade would definitely merit a few chapters. But that is the past, all that matters is the here and now. And here and now we have what the band themselves are referring to as their third album, "Thousand Men Strong". The CD features four members of the original lineup; guitarists Andy Boulton and John Wiggins, Bassist Andy Wrighton and Drummer Steve Pierce. Assuming vocal duties is Nicolaj Runhow. One listen and I have to say this is DEFINITELY the album TB should have released after "Night...."; the disc has that [dare I say it?] "Classic" `Blade sound, delivered by an older and wiser band, yet firmly planted in the 21st Century. THIS is the Tokyo Blade us longtime fans have known and loved! 10 tracks of straight up Metal, no dalliances with "Modern Rock/Metal" to be found. The dark and powerful "Black Abyss" kicks things off and lets you know that The Blade are back! The title track keeps the mood going and leads us to "Lunch-Case", a high-octane riff fest detailing the exploits of Fritz Harrmann, aka "The Butcher Of Hannover". Other soon-to-be classics in the Blade canon include "Forged In Hell’s Fire", "The Ambush" [one of my personal favorites and one of the albums best] "Condemned To Fire" and an updated version of "Night Of The Blade"!! The band have never sounded better; the rhythm section is tight as all Hell, laying the foundation for the crunchy riffs and flashy solos that are their stock-in-trade. And Nikolaj Ruhnow makes his presence felt in each and every cut; a VERY wise choice for the vocal spot! A clean [but not TOO clean!] production by the legendary Chris Tsangarides help make this the Metal comeback album of the year, and it ranks right up their with the bands` best. While it might not have them filling arenas right away, "Thousand Men Strong" has successfully corrected a flaw in the system, and will go a long way towards bringing some long overdue respect to a band that deserves a helluva more than they`ve gotten in the past. One of 2011`s best Metal CDs`! Buy this or face the wrath of The Blade!!!!
Without a doubt Whitesnake`s finest release since the 1987 S/T album, "Forevermore" can best be described as a cross between the "Live...in the Heart Of The City"-era `Snake and their `87 blockbuster [as well as a bit of "Slide It In"]; the Purple-esque Blues & Boogie of the former and the slicker, more polished metallic `Eighties overtones. 59 year old David Coverdale`s still a vocal powerhouse; hardly one of the new breed of Politically Correct, self-absorbed, poet/vegan sissy boys trying to pass as "Rawk Stars" these days. Coverdale`s roots are in the Classic Hard Rock era [for want of a better term]; he, along with Plant, Daltrey, Gillan, basically invented it. And fortunately, he has stuck to what he knows best, as one listen of "Forevermore" will aptly demonstrate. For this outing, Coverdale`s partners-in-crime are Bassist Michael Devin, Drummer Brian Tichy, and the to-DIE-for guitar team of Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. From the first notes of the opening track "Steal You Heart Away", it`s obvious this is one of the best line ups the band has ever had, and it only gets better from there! From the full-tilt Blues Rock-drenched "All Out Of Luck" and "Whipping Boy Blues" to the all out Rockers like "My Evil Ways" and my personal favorite "Dogs In The Street" and more reserved fare like "One Of These Days", "Easier Said Than Done", and "Fare Thee Well". This CD is a veritable smorgasbord for Whitesnake fans, as it attends to all the best qualities of the band. But they saved the best for last with the closing title track; a true epic that features some of Coverdale`s finest vocal work. The rhythm section through out is monstrous, and the Aldrich/Beach team are everything a Heavy Rock guitar duo SHOULD be. From tasteful trade off licks to pure 6-string fire fights, these guys totally rule here. Well, next to Mr. Coverdale, of course! This album will definitely please the diehard `Snake fans, win new converts AND bring back those like me who lost interest after the overhyped and overrated "Slip Of The Tongue". One of the years best. "Whitesnake Forevermore", indeed!!
After the monumental epic that was 2009`s "Crógacht", my expectations were fairly high for Folk Metalists Suidakra`s follow-up CD. And so in 2011 the band has released "The Book Of Dowth"; Were my expectations met? Welllll, initially, yes. Upon first listen, I thought "Yeah, this kills!" but after a while, I began to have doubts. There are some CDs` that are "growers", and need a few listens before their best moments stand out. Yet "The Book Of Dowth" seems to be a "grower" in reverse; the more I listen, the more I think to myself "It`s GOOD, but....". Not that it ISN`T good, because it certainly is. But it just doesn`t hit me the way "Crógacht" did. With that album, I enjoy listening to it in its` entirety, rather than individual tracks [though I can do that also]. But this new CD isn`t as rousing as its` predecessor; the song are a little darker and more slowly paced, thus I don`t feel a lot of energy, and thought there are highlights [“Dowth 2059”, “The Dark Mound”, “Birog’s Oath” and “Mag Mell"], the songs just aren`t as memorable as before. Hopefully this will change with repeated listens. Overall a worthy effort but I personally was a bit underwhelmed. Better luck next time? Time will tell...
I`m not a huge fan of "Tribute Acts"; nothing against the bands personally and there ARE some good ones out there, I just don`t see the point. All a matter of taste, I suppose. Which brings us to Demon`s Eye. This mostly German band started out as a professional Deep Purple tribute act [receiving kudos from some former Purple members along the way] who branched off into writing their own original material. Obviously, any such endeavor will certainly be [ahem] colored a very Deep shade of Purple; however, the bands` debut disc, "The Stranger Within", is also steeped heavily in Dio-era Rainbow. And to help the band pull this off they`ve enlisted the services of vocalist Dougie White, who happened to be the vocalist on the criminally underrated final Rainbow CD "Stranger In Us All". [he`s also lent his voice to Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen, among others]. Since the whole Demon`s Eye concept was exactly what you`d call pedestrian, I wasn`t sure what to expect when I ordered the CD. Glad I did! The 11 tracks [12 counting the bonus track "The Best Of Times (extended version)"] are certainly of huge interest to Rainbow/Purple fans, as well as fans of this style of music. The band have managed to nail nearly every nuance of the early Deep Purple MK II and Dio-era Rainbow albums, yet blend their own individual approach into the mix. Throw in White`s vocal and lyrical presence and you have one of the most entertaining Hard Rock CDs` in many a moon! Much has been said of White`s spot-on RJ Dio/Ian Gillan interpretations; while this is certainly true, I`m reminded more of Glenn Highes more often than not; maybe if Glenn had gotten the lead vocal spot in DP MK II instead of Coverdale and dropped the Funk leanings, Purple would have sounded a lot like this. Whatever the case, White`s vocals are one of the main selling points on the album; he really cuts loose and sounds like he`s having a ball doing so. Mention must also be given to the other members; guitarist Mark Zyk has an uncanny feel for Ritchie Blackmore`s style, and comes closer sound-wise than nearly all the hordes of Blackmore immitators, yet maintaining his individuality at the same time. Florian Pritsch Keyboard work has received rightfully earned praise from former DP keysman Jon Lord himself, while bassist Mark Keller and drummer Andree Schneider re-enact the Ian Paice/Roger Glover rhythm section to a "T"! Songs? Hard to pick favorites but "Evil Comes This Way" merits special attention, as well as "A Foolish Man", "Midnight In Heaven Or Hell", "Brand New Life", and "Le Vent Lament" [an acoustic piece which I would have no problem believing was an outtake from the "Ritchie Blackmore`s Rainbow" album!]. Given the results of "The Stranger Within", one can only hope that the combination of Doogie White and Demon`s Eye extends beyond a mere project and into a full on band;that way we can keep getting MORE great albums like this! Highly recommended!
"Into The Wild" is the 23rd [!!] studio album by Uriah Heep. And if you don`t know who THEY are, hit the "Back" button right now! Seriously, leaves this website and educate yourself on all things Heep ASAP! Baack to the review. The new disc is the follow-up to `08`s "Wake The Sleeper", a fine slab of Heavy Rock as only the Heep could make. They helped invent the genre, after all. [Sorry, kids; The White Stripes had NOTHING to do with it!] Yet "Into The Wild" is, if anything, a step up from "...Sleeper"; retaining their sound with feet firmly planted in the 21st Century. No dalliances with hip-hop, trance, dub or whatever this afternoon`s latest trend might be. Uriah Heep know who they are, what they are and what they do. And nobody does it better! Lead off track [and first single] is "Nail On The Head"; this took a few listens to grow on me but now I love it, and so will you! This, along with every other cut on the album, showcases all the elements that make this band great. Vocalist Bernie Shaw`s place in Heep history was secured long ago, and his performance on this album will surely add another notch on his mic stand. Russell Gilbrook has now firmly established himself in the band [filling the drum seat for longtime drummer Lee Kerslake] and particularly shines on "Money Talks", a song that features some brilliant keyboard work from Phil Lanzon [as does the amazing "Trail Of Diamonds"], while Bassist Trevor Bolder holds it all down. But the album belongs to guitarist Mick Box; he`s all over this CD, unleashing enough firey & flashy licks, riffs and solos to make yer average weekend warrior at the local Guitar Center weep! "Southern Star' is one of many tracks here that screams "Live In Concert", and will doubtless become yet another live favorite. Personal pick would have to be the closing tune "Kiss Of Freedom". Nope, not a duff track to be found; these guys have certainly been at it long enough to know what works. Heepsters won`t be surprised at how great this album is; for the youngsters who think Hard Rock started with whatever trendy band they saw on the Vans Warped Tour, get this CD and prepare for some serious schooling! While many bands seem to get progressively worse as time go by, Uriah Heep just keeps getting better, and "Into The Wild" is ample proof; not that we really needed any!
